“Want your kid to start doing sports or something physical? Rather than saying “You can have a sleepover this week if you go to soccer practice,” find a sport the kid actually likes. Otherwise you’ll be stuck in the same situation every parent is – bribing, cajoling, or manhandling your kid into going.”

#2 Freedom

“Are you the boss? Tired of lazy employees that are just soaking up a paycheck and investing the least-amount-of-time-possible? Rather than offering them increased pay, offer them increased work perks, like:

– More freedom (Work from home)

– Less pressure (Results Only Work Environment [ROWE]) – “No checking in or out. Just get the work done.”

– Total autonomy in their projects — “Here’s the project, figure out how to solve it. I won’t be hovering over you.”

… That’s for staying motivated at work, but what about for improving your health or losing weight?

Solution: Avoiding “Wedding Day Syndrome”

Okay – so we know some facts about intrinsic motivation:

Research shows that it works better long term

People tend to be happier and more fulfilled when they’re intrinsically motivated

It is inherently rewarding – regardless of the outcome (e.g. whether or not you succeed at fixing your health goal)

Also, in young students, it’s been shown that giving context for material (e.g. how in the heck is this relevant to my life?) increases their intrinsic motivation. Makes sense, right? (2)

So we tend to be driven by a few things:

The feeling of being in control, like we can produce results in our own life

The belief that we can achieve our goals

And knowing that we’re pushing towards a goal that’s actually important and relevant to our life

It’s the difference between playing a game because it’s fun… and playing a game because you want to win.

It’s the difference between doing yoga because it makes you feel good… and doing yoga so you can have a celebrity fit body.

It’s the difference between learning a language because it’s engaging and exciting… versus learning a language to impress others.

… Can you see how #1 might be more powerful? And much easier to do over the long run?

Two Key Formulas To Apply For Unlimited Motivation

First, use emotional triggers.

Use emotional triggers to remind yourself why this process is meaningful.

Use some kind of reminder, for example:

An old picture

Your old pair of jeans

An old pill jar that reminds you of your back pain

Something that reminds you how hard your life is when you’re sick

Why? Remember research has shown that you’ll stay more intrinsically motivated if you’re reminded of the purpose that you’re doing this for.

Second, use the “confirmation” principle.

It’s human nature to make progress, and rather than acknowledge that we made progress (e.g. my back feels better, and I’m losing weight), to keep looking at the huge mountain we still have to climb.

Here’s what I want you to do: On the days that you manage to go for a 10 minute walk, or eat healthier, or go 24 hours without sugar, do one thing: sit down for a moment and realize how much better you feel.

In fact, researchers have found that one of the main reasons that long-term exercisers continue to exercise is because…

… It makes them feel good!

Aka intrinsic motivation – makes sense, right?

After just a few days of saying “Wow, that 10 minute walk did make my back feel better and boosted my mood” or “Wow, I feel fantastic after going without sugar and white bread for 24 hours,” these will become intrinsic motivators.

Mood, happiness and feeling great will all become intrinsic methods of motivation.

So whenever you positively engage in a new health habit (that makes you feel better), remind yourself, and confirm that you felt better. It will help to internalize the new habit.

No more carrots and sticks, okay?

Thoughts on This? Other Tips for Motivation?

Share your thoughts below.

– Alex

P.S. If you want to bypass motivation, and focus on the real “secret to success” – habit change – you can learn more about the six habits of dozens of people that have lost 100+ pounds and kept it off. Click here to learn more.

I love this – and so true. I wish that everybody could just wake up tomorrow morning and realize that they are the ones holding themselves back. They are the ones keeping them overweight, in pain, tired, stressed out, full of anxiety, plagued with insomnia, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc (the list goes on and on).

And the answer is so simple – and it doesn’t come in a pill bottle. Our brains hold the answer; it’s completely psychological. I wish everybody could realize this, and start re-training their habits. We’re sabotaging ourselves and most of us don’t even realize it.

I wish that everybody could just wake up tomorrow morning and realize that they are the ones holding themselves back. They are the ones keeping them overweight, in pain, tired, stressed out, full of anxiety, plagued with insomnia, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc (the list goes on and on).

Totally agree Steve!

The only problem is that even if you DO realize this.. you still have to do the work (which is change your habits, and apply this kinda stuff). And people often want quick fixes and solutions to their problems!

Hei,
What if exercise makes you feel worse?
For example I have chronic pain in my Achilles heal so most exercise makes me feel worse long term because my leg gets very painful a few hours after exercise, or the next day.
I love exercising, unfortunately the pain usually demotivates me after a few days/weeks.

Totally agree with everything you said in this article! I think people fail on their diets or healthy lifestyles so much because they use the wrong motivators. Wanting to have six pack abs or to fit into a pair of jeans will never be as powerful long-term as wanting to feel better or healthier (or to beat a certain ailment). I always wonder: why do we humans always wait until we get ill instead of taking preventative measures early on in life? This question always bugs me. Great post!

Wanting to have six pack abs or to fit into a pair of jeans will never be as powerful long-term as wanting to feel better or healthier (or to beat a certain ailment).

Couldn’t agree more. I think the tough part is that it’s easy to ignore health… when it’s not a problem. E.g we can become sicker and fatter for a while, years, decades sometimes, before we start seeing negative effects. But it’s only once we start experiencing discomfort that we choose to take action… at which point it requires a LOT of action to try and reverse that.

I hope I can motivate myself intrinsically. As you already have told it is not ‘what’, but ‘how’ that matters most in solving the problem. So it is only a question of finding the motivation and separating it from indirect ones will only lead to knowing the ones that are YOU centric. Once we can identify the reason why we need to study, exercise or better ourselves, then only we can tell ourselves what we need to do.
So all in all it boils down to one thing–Introspection or knowing yourself.

Knowing how much I feel better and how much worse I felt when I was unhealthy is a very big boost in adapting a healthy lifestyle and can be applied to many other scenarios.

I fully agree with you. I am 65 years old and my body is suffering from all the years of heavy physical work. I try walking but it hurts when I do this. My happy momment is when I return home from walking and realize that it IS good for me to keep moving and there is a reward at the end.

I'm Alexander Heyne. My entire approach to health is this: once you understand the power of your own mind and psychology, and once you get the power of tiny daily habits (rather than willpower and discipline) success is a piece of cake. You can learn more about my story here.

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Master The Day is a book that addresses the real reason we struggle with health and living a really good life: habits.